Orlando Nightclub Shooter's Widow Is Denied Release On Bail

The widow of the gunman who killed 49 people at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Fla., in June 2016, will remain in custody after a federal judge in Florida revoked bail and a prior release order.

Today's ruling by U.S. District Judge Paul Byron reverses a decision by a federal magistrate in Northern California that would have allowed 31-year-old Noor Salman to be freed pending her trial on charges that she aided the shooting rampage by her husband, Omar Mateen.

As we reported, Magistrate Judge Donna Ryu said Salman was not a flight risk or a danger to public safety. Ryu said she doubted that prosecutors would be able to prove that Salman helped Mateen provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization. Salman is also charged with obstruction of justice for allegedly lying to federal investigators.

Salman was arrested in California in January where she was residing with her mother in the San Francisco Bay area. Ryu's initial ruling would have allowed Salman to be released on a $500,000 bond to the custody of her family.

But Judge Byron of Orlando overruled that decision. He said Ryu had minimized Salman's admitted knowledge of her husband's extremist views and his preparation for the attack.

Federal prosecutors are seeking Salman's return to Florida. A hearing is set for April 10.

Copyright 2017 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.